Vegan Meat Popsicle:I think reverse thrust is only supposed to slow the airplane down, I don't think it's really meant to drive the airplane backwards like that since the engine isn't actually running in reverse.

The engines don't actually run during pushback. They don't start the engines until after pushback is complete. You're right though, it's not designed to reverse an airplane, just slow it down.

TonnageVT:The engines don't actually run during pushback. They don't start the engines until after pushback is complete. You're right though, it's not designed to reverse an airplane, just slow it down.

He had to have been running the engine there though, didn't he? Otherwise how would he have gotten the airplane moving backwards? I can't imagine they sent someone out to helpfully push the plane backwards and help him steal it.

Also, I was wrong. Apparently these planes are perfectly capable of using reverse thrust on the ground to go backwards and even do so on occasion at certain gates that are designed to allow for the procedure without risking damage to nearby people or structures.

Vegan Meat Popsicle:TonnageVT: The engines don't actually run during pushback. They don't start the engines until after pushback is complete. You're right though, it's not designed to reverse an airplane, just slow it down.

He had to have been running the engine there though, didn't he? Otherwise how would he have gotten the airplane moving backwards? I can't imagine they sent someone out to helpfully push the plane backwards and help him steal it.

Also, I was wrong. Apparently these planes are perfectly capable of using reverse thrust on the ground to go backwards and even do so on occasion at certain gates that are designed to allow for the procedure without risking damage to nearby people or structures.

Yes, in this instance the engines were running and he used reverse thrust to reverse the plane, however, in general, they just use the tow truck while the engine is off. You can see in the video that the reverse thrust kicks in, just watch the engine as he's reversing.

I understand the planes are capable, but I think the standard procedure is just to pushback using a truck while keeping engines off.

For CRJ aircraft, use of reverse thrust for aircraft maneuvering is generally prohibited, primarily because of the risk of foreign object debris damage. However, yes, it's fully capable of moving backward under its own power. I've used reverse thrust myself a few times in the CRJ to maneuver the aircraft into remote parking spots at some airports, but never during normal operations. It's used almost every time for landing to slow the aircraft and decrease wear on the brakes. The only airline I know that regularly used reverse thrust for pushback was American on their MD-80s. You'd see them power out at DFW all the time.

Unlike the "buckets" that are shown in the picture above, the CRJ (and most modern aircraft) uses a translating cowl that opens on the engine nacelle while blocker doors pop up and redirect the bypass air out and forward. It's pretty impressive how well it actually works. A good shot of it can be seen here: Link